Yesterday we hired a local ex-pat named Jake Van to take us into Tamarindo and pick up some used bicycles. We scored four nice bikes with baskets, bought some locks and chain oil and threw them in the back of Jake's pickup truck. I'm sure that Charlie is happy that his buddies back home won't see him riding a bike with a basket, but they are sure to come in handy as we try to stay car-less for as long as possible. Actually, I can't believe I just said "we scored four nice bikes with baskets" with enthusiasm. I must be getting old! We also grabbed four SIM cards for $6 each. We now have our unlocked Canadian cell phones working here with super cheap Costa Rican plans. Most importantly, we can now stay in touch ... read more

This will be a short update, mostly because I don't want to bore you with ALL the details of packing and preparing. You can think of this as "Preparation Hola" (or "Preparation H", for short). So, here's a condensed and only mildly boring update on where things are at: We leave in 3 days. Our suitcases are mostly packed. We've limited ourselves to one suitcase and one carry-on per family member. We love travelling light. In addition to the standard clothing and essentials, we'll have our electronics including 4 laptop computers, an iPad, an iPod, 4 unlocked cell phones and an XBox 360. This will hardly be the Swiss Family Robinson, rustic adventure. We have more gadgets than underwear. We got our Hep A shots this morning (see picture of Ella). We weren't even going to ... read more

It all seems a bit unreal. What began as a feverish discussion between Cheryl and I (who were both hit hard with the flu on Christmas 2010) has suddenly come to pass. Well not so suddenly; there was lots of web-based research and book reading, a "scouting" holiday last march that almost took us to the wrong San Jose (some scout I turned out ot be!), lots of discussions with the kids, visits to Costa Rican schools, talking to expats online, renting and then backing out of a house rental deal when things turned sour, etc, etc. In the meantime, my new solar business was going down the tubes, I found then quit my new job and we were still forging ahead with plans for a major life adventure without even knowing how we were going ... read more